The use of fatty acids, fatty acid salts and sucrose esters in cosmetic compositions and other dermatological compositions is known. Various fatty acids, fatty acid salts and sucrose esters have also been employed in pharmaceutical compositions, but never as the therapeutic ingredient.
Smith, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,896,238, 4,150,114 and 4,046,886 disclose the use of a sucrose ester in combination with an alkyl sulfoxide or phosphine oxide in compositions for enhancing the penetration of pharmacologically active agents into the skin. Preferred sucrose esters include mono- and diacyl esters wherein the acyl substituents contain eight to twenty carbon atoms with sucrose monooleate the most preferred. Specifically disclosed are sucrose monooctanoate, sucrose monocaprate, sucrose monolaurate, sucrose monomyristate, sucrose monopalmitate, sucrose monostearate, sucrose monooleate, sucrose monoeicosanate, as well as the di- and tri-esters of the aforementioned compounds.
Japanese patent Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho 81 75,437 discloses a composition which has utility as a base for a suppository containing a sucrose fatty acid ester displaying hydrophile-lypophile balance (HLB) value properties in the range of 1 to 5.
Kreps, U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,795 and Koulbanis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,952 disclose the utility of fatty acid esters as emulsifiers.
Sucrose fatty acid esters, and in particular, cocoates, have been used in detergent compositions. Brazilian patent Braz. Pedido PI No. 78 05,654 discloses a detergent composition containing sucrose coconut oil fatty acid mono- and di-esters useful as an effective soap in soft or hard water.
Japanese patent Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho No. 75 29,608 discloses dishwashing detergent compositions containing a sucrose coconut oil fatty acid ester.
Sucrose fatty acid esters have also been used in the cosmetic industry. French patent 2,421,605 discloses a non-foaming cosmetic compound for cleaning the hair and scalp containing sucrose palmitate stearate.
Japanese patent Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho No. 81 24,034 discloses an emulsion for a cosmetic cream containing sucrose fatty acid esters, preferably sucrose laurate.
Japanese patent Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho No. 81 55,306 discloses cosmetic emulsions containing sucrose palmitate or sucrose stearate.
Marketing brochure, "Cosmetic Raw Materials", RITA corporation, p 5 (1985) and Technical Information Brochure PSE 141 G, RITA corporation, pp. 1-4 (9185), disclose the use of sucrose cocoate sold under the name of Grilloten for cosmetic use in body lotions, eye makeup removers, face cleansing creams, lotions, shampoos, foam bath products, liquid soaps, baby bath products, hair conditioners, cream rinses, and roll-on deordorants.
Lactylic mono fatty acid ester, in particular strearoyl lactylic acid and the sodium salt of this ester, has been used in compositions for cosmetic bases. Osipow, et al., Fatty Acid Lactylates, pp. 1-12 (1969) discloses that stearoyl lactylic acid and its sodium salt are used as a cosmetic gelling agent. He further discloses that capryl lactylate, sodium lauroyl lactylate and sodium stearoyl lactylate are non-toxic and that the first two compounds exhibit anti-microbial activity.
Osipow, Pat. No. 3,472,940, Kreps, Pat. No. 3,098,795, Lynch, Pat. No. 4,529,605, and Teng, Pat. No. 4,193,989 also disclose the use of fatty acid esters in cosmetic compositions.
Other uses of fatty acid esters are disclosed in Cannell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,820, which teaches its use in permanent waving compositions, and Cannell, Pat. No. 4,424,820, which teaches its use in hair straightening compositions.
Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,252 discloses a process for preparation of the fatty acid esters of lactylic acid and slats thereof in a commercial environment. This disclosure alludes to the possible use of such esters as biologically active agents.